Induced Normalcy: Buffer Zones and the Future of Manipur.

Induced Normalcy: Buffer Zones and the Future of Manipur is a powerful analysis of one of the most complex conflicts in contemporary India.

In the aftermath of the May 2023 violence between Kukis and Meiteis, life in Manipur was reshaped by buffer zones—military-enforced lines of separation meant to contain violence but not resolve it. This book examines how these zones create an illusion of peace while deepening mistrust, displacing families, and entrenching shadow economies.

Drawing on history, political analysis, and global comparisons—from Bosnia and Palestine to Cyprus—the book explores the dangers of induced normalcy: a state where conflict is frozen, division normalized, and vested interests thrive at the expense of ordinary people.

Key themes include:

• The roots and escalation of the Kuki–Meitei divide.

• Buffer zones as tools of control, not reconciliation.

• Economic fallout—blockades, displacement, and the rise of drug routes.

• Competing narratives of “separate administration” vs. “territorial integrity.”

• The silence of the centre and the hidden hands profiting from chaos.

• Possible futures for Manipur: partition, coexistence, or endless buffering.

At once urgent and sobering, Induced Normalcy is not just about Manipur—it is about how states manage conflict without solving it, and the human cost of living in a perpetual limbo.